yesterday was a very long day for me. it all started out early in the morning with the coolest double rainbow with the super moon on the side.

Ai-san and Rika-san enjoying the beautiful moment.

i had such a great time surfing with these two wonderful women. just to see the stoke in their eyes as they rode the waves was super rewarding.

after surfing, we went to see some nature. they girls haven’t been up here before so it was a must. the most beautiful view in the world.

then back down to the big city and acai bowl.

then we went to check out a dream house on black point.

yes, it must be so amazing to wake up to a view like this.

one day, i will be waking up to this. i just have to save $3.5 million first. haha.

and the pool in the back yard. gosh, i’d be having parties every day.

want to thank Rika-san and Ai-san for the wonderful time! great job surfing and hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!

driving to diamond head looking so green! this is the greenest it will ever get. and the blue sky and white clouds. right after this, i went home, unloaded the boards, grabbed my backpack, and headed to the airport. got to the gate at 12:20pm and my flight took off at 12:59pm. barely made it and it’s crazy how i got the absolute last seat on the flight! and guess what? it was the business flat seat! what a busy but very happy morning with a very happy ending.

then i land in japan and it’s raining???? omg, i went from blue to grey! haha. a very short and busy trip. see you all in yugawara and atami this weekend! have a beautiful wet day!

gosh, time has flown by so fast!!! Dove wetsuits is going to celebrate their 40th anniversary this year! 40 years of history in japan’s surfing world. i got sponsored by Dove back in 1992 so i’ve been with them for 23 years and counting. had some great times, great memories, and awesome wetsuits. the surf contest and party is happening on october 4th morning till night. i’ll be there the whole way! there is no way i can miss the chance to celebrate the 40 years with Tokura-san, Inomata-san, and all the Dove staff, team riders, dealers, and supporters. all my wonderful friends spread out throughout japan. see you guys next week!
here are some photos from the 35th anniversary contest held at Yugawara. good waves, good vibe. check it out!









like i said, i’ve been with Dove since i was a kid. 23 years of relationship that is totally priceless. thank you Dove for all the years of support! and also all the years for keeping me warm!

well, working this morning and going straight to the airport. jumping on any flight out of hawaii. where i land i still don’t know. just going with the flow like usual. what ever happens, happens. and if something happens to me, i just want to say that i had a greatest life of all! cheers!

had a great time yesterday surfing with Niwa-san. super cool surfer girl that kept on going wave after wave after wave. she caught so many waves in the 2.5 hours we were out.

and she caught her last wave super far in from the outside! it was like she was walking on water.

thank you Niwa-san for the wonderful surf and laughs! please enjoy your home stay in kaneohe!

it just blows me away on how the circle of friends keep on growing bigger and bigger. seeing photos like this makes me a very happy person. the only thing i could wish for more was to actually be there in the photo and enjoying the precious time in hokkaido with my friends. but that day will come soon.

check out this photo of my sister and brothers when we were little kids. can you guess which one is me?
i ended my speech up at Mid-Pac something like this. all i hoped for was to have inspired 1 of the 175 kids sitting in that auditorium to live life to the fullest. if i succeeded, that would make me a very happy man.
By going to Japan as a volunteer has changed my life.
It made me realize what is important, and what isn’t important.
It made me realize what I need, and what I don’t need.
And most of all, it made me realize not to take things for granted.
We must appreciate everything we have.
Appreciate your family, appreciate your friends, appreciate your life, appreciate each day that goes by.
And most importantly, appreciate this chance of life you are given to live. And live it to the fullest!